Improvement in machines foe punching axe-polls



have invented certain new and` useful Improvements in Machinery for Punching A inated, which gives the appearance of an imperfect weld to ROBERT BLAKE, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 80,900, dated August 1l, 1868. Y

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FR PUNGHING AXE-POLLS.

@te Sdgehulenftrtet tt in tlgtst tticts rtcnt tut mating tart tf tige smite.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERNE*` Be it known that I, ROBERT BLAKE, of Scranton, in the countyof vLuzerne, and State of Pennsylvania, l p .vc-Polls land other articles; and I hereby declarethe following to be afull, clear, and exact descr-iptiolrot` the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- I Figurel is a perspective view ott` machine'for punching axe-polls, constructed in` vaccordance with .my i

invention. H y

v 1Figure 2 is a side elevation, and i Figures A3 and 4 are detached views of the same.

My invention relates to machines for punching the eye lor hole for the reception ot' the handle in axepolls and other like tools, and more especially to such machines in which a set of dies, stock from which the poll is formed, is combined with a punching-pin, located betwe Letters Patent of the Uni-ted States heretofore granted Levi Dodge'.

For the better understanding ofthe nature and scope of my invention, it, I deem it advisable to first describe the method heretofore pursued of pun fully the defects whichv it is my object to remedy.

In a punching-machine constructed upon the genera-l plan above mentioned, 'the dies havelbeen made concave, so as to impart the desired form tothe sides Vof the poll.

The heated bar'is inserted between the dies thus constructed until it bears against a gauge at the opposite end of the dies from the workman, which preventsth'epbar from'protrudingbeyond the dies. Y

for squeezing the poll or en the dies, as illustrated in and the advantages-resulting from ching axe-polls, so as to show more` This gauge is attached toa stili` springginssuch;manner as'to be enabled to yield slightly when subjected to pressure. When, therefore, the har is punchedZ and compressed between the dies, thefgauge is pushed bachV a little distance by the stock, which is squeezed*endend, only returnsto its normal. position when the dies are opened and the bars removed from between them. i i l l' In order to inish and givclthe proper form totherhole, threppoll partially formedon theend of the bar is turned, so as to allow the punching-pin to ente'rtl-ieeye or holeV from punched and compressed between theA dies, after whichjit is cut off fro-m the bar.

By this operation, the bitend of the poll,l or, in other words,vthe end in which the steel bit or blade is the opposite edgeof thexpoll, and is again inserted, has given to it an irregular shap'epwhieh it retains throughout the other operations to whichthe pollV is subjected, so that, before the steel can be welded i"n,',it`l i s indespensable to trim off enough of therend to make it regular and ofthe desired shape. v A Y i The poll, after eomingteut of the dies, is taken by another operative, who cdges,.it,"that is to say, gives the desired outline to thelonge'r l-in'es'oi` e'dges,"andthen trims olf, by means of shears or like mechanism, the irregular-shaped -end produced in the operation just `above mentioned. i Y

This trimming, however, makes'what'is called'a'Ffash edge, that is, lower 'shear by the upper, for the reason that is practically impossible to keep theshears in absolute contact, or the edges in perfect condition fermore than a fewi moments atV a time. The ,fash thus lformed must be squeezed down into the poll by another operation, which leaves'tho poll for the irst time in apparently fair and good condition. Nevertheless, the fash' left in trimming has not'been welded down, but is merely pushed into the bit ofthe poll, and, when the steel bit is welded in,

er second-quality axe or tool.

In order, therefore, to form the poll or other tool under the process vabove named, the following operations are necessary:

First. Squeezing and punching the poll in the dies. Second. Cutting oli' the poll from the han .some of thestockis pushed past the it frequently leaves a cold sheet, as it is denomthe steel, and consequently produces an imperfect aow 2 Third. Forming the edges, and trimming-the bit-end of the poll.

Fourth. Squeezing down the"fash" left by the trimming operation.

Fifth. Welding in the steel bit.

The object of my invention is to prevent the formation o f the fash so 4detrimental to the quality and appearance of the poll, and, furthermore, not onlyl to produce an article superior to those made by the means heretofore used, but to lessen the number of operations required to form the poll, dispensing with much of the machinery and labor hitherto required, and thus producing the article at less expense andv in less time than would otherwise be practicable. Y

To this end, my invention consists principally- First, in the combination, with the compressing-dies andjaws and punching-pin, of a machine for punching axe-polls; cfa former or formers made upon the dies, or. operating in connection with them, inthe manner here inafter described, so as to prevent the necessity oftrimming the bit-end by giving the required shape to the bitend at the same time the poll is punched.

Second, the combination, with the shears for 'cutting the poll from the bar, of edging 'dies, operating as hereinafter described, sok thatthe required outline shall be given to the edges of the poll at the same time that the poll is eut frouithe barrfy i The principal Vadvantages secured by a machine constructed in accordance with my invention maybe stated as follows: v

First. The bit-end is shaped andformed at the same time the axe-,poll is pressed and punched.

Second. The operations of-edgng the'poll and of cutting it from the har are performed simultaneously.

Third. The' operation of trimming is dispensed with, and the stock usually lost by this operation, (amounting to from one to four ounces per poll) is saved.

Fourth. Imperfectionsin the bitef the poll from fash are obviated. I f

Fifth. Theoperation of trimming being governed Aentirely by the judgment of the workman, it has beenl linrpraeticabl'er toproduee polls ofuniform size and shape,- andnot unfrequently the poll has been spoiled by having `too much cut from one or the other corner, orfentirely across the bit. This risk is removed.

Sixth. By dispensing with these last-named operations I am enabled to discard the separate and additional machine required for them, which has involved considerable expense to run and keep in repair.

To enableA those skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, by reference to the accompanying drawings.

The dies A are hinged to the sliding cross-head B of the machine, in any ordinary or suitable manner, and the punching-pin C, attached to the base, I), projects upward between the dies, as is ordinarily the ease. The

l ends of the dies A, when moved downward by means of the sliding cross-head, slide over the inclined faces a of the pillar-blocks E, which blocks, when the dies are depressed to the greatest extent, hold the said Vdics between their vertical sides or faces, Vldhen the dies are, on the contrary, elevated or lifted away from the pin, they are separated or swung aparthy means of their respective studs or pins, c, which engage with the diverging arms d. Thus far the construction of the machine does not materially differ from that of others heretofore -in use. p I A, l Y

The faces of'the dies are also madeconcave, as heretofore, but at their ends, fr, where the'bitof the lpoll comes, they are out or formed, as shown in figs. 1 and 3, so as to have the shape desired'for the finished poll or tool. i Y' Y Ilacedagainst-the end of the dies is aY third die or former, B1, of the shape required forthe bit-end of the poll. The former Bl is attached to the cross-head, and when the dies are closed upon the poll and around the punching-pin, a stop, B2, in rear of the formerly, holds the latter immovably in its place, so as to prevent i the stoel; from beingsqueezed outin that direction,'and to give the bit-end the shape required in the finished poll.

I may here say, that instead of making the former B1 separate from the dies A, the latter can be so coustructed as to perform' not only their ordinary functions, but also to do the work of the former erv stop Bl, as,

A `for instance, uponthe end x of either or. both ofthe dies, there may be a former-plate or ilange or` step, which, Awhen the dies are brought together, will close upon the bit-end of the poll, and give it the niShedshapedeSired. In all cases, however, in order to attain the *object I have in view, the bit-end former or die must be so constructed andcombin'ed with the-squeezing-dies asY 4te be perfectly immovable and unyielding when the latter dies'are closed npon't'hepoll, thus c empletely'closing the bit-end of those dies. Otherwise the heated metal 'will besqueezed from between theV dies, and produce themashcdge which it is lthe principalgobject of Amy invention to prevent. J j v v i I i A poll, shapedand punched between dies thus arranged, will -not have the irregular and ragged lbit-end seen in polls subjected to this operation in' ordinary machines, and needinot, therefore, be subjected to the i trimming operation, which Vis productive of the disadvantages above referred to. I f

After coming out from the dies, all that is required vto complete the poll is to edge it and separate it from the stock. These two operations I effect simultaneously by the following means:

The cross-head B passes through one side of the stand S, and upon this end ofthe cross-head is mounted a shear or blade, m. 'A lcorresponding shear or cutting-edge, n, is formed on. a blocker bed, It, the blades m n and cross-head and bed being so disposed with relation to 'each other, that when the cross-head descends, the blades m at will act as shears, to sever or cut intwo the bar or stock which'may be interposed between them. Upon one side of the bed R, nearest the stand S, is placed, at .about right angles to the shear, an edging-die, K, or former; that is to say, a die ofthe shape which it is desired to'give the edges or longer lines of the poll. Opposite this die is aacorresponding one, Kl, which, howeverfinstead of being fixed to the bed It, is hinged by mcans'of a bent and forked or slotted armml, to the overhangng top` or beam ofthe stand S. This forked ar slides between pins, tt, placed on each side of the cross-head. p

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that owing to the peculiar bend of the arm Z it will, when the cross-head descends, be moved by means of the guide-pins tt'so as to causel the die K1 to approach the stationary die K. When, on the contrary, the cross-head is elevated, the arm, together with its die, will be swung outwardly or away from-the stationary edgexz Now, let it befsupposed that the axe-poll has been taken from the dies B, and it is desired to complete and finish it. The poll is laid upon the bed R (while the cross-head is elevated) so as to bring the shear az. in proper position with relation to the poll. The cross-head, together with its blade, m, now descends, and by the action of the shears the poll is severed from the' stock. Simultaneously with this operation the swinging die K has been forced toward the stationary die K, in the manner above explained, so that the poll is eompresscdbetween the dies, which impart to its edges the outline desired. As soon as the cross-head moves upward, the hold of the edging-dies upon the poll is released, and the latter drops from the machine finished and complete.

The edgers, in combination with the shears, may be operated and arranged differently from the manner herein described. I prefer, however, the methoddescribed of operating them by means of the sliding crosshead, which, for this purpose, as above stated, passes through and projects from one side ofthe stand-S.

In conclusion, I would observe that it has never been attempted to shape the bit-end of theipoll simultaneously with the cheeks b'y means of dies, as described. For instance, in the machine of Levi. Dodge, patcntedMay 1, 1866, known as the head-hammering machine, the axe is introduced between the dies headforemost, and itis the head, therefore, and not the bit, that bears against the former in rear. In that case,

as the head of the axeis very near the finished size when inserted between the dies, it would not receive ade-- quate pressure without the former moving up against it, and in Dodges machine, therefore, the former has this movement; and I may also add, that the Dodge machine is not intended, as is the case with the present invention, to shape and squeeze the poll from'the iron, but only to finish and complete or polish the poll after -it hasbeen shaped and squeezed, and the bit hasbeen inserted.

In the present machine, on the contrary, it is the bit of the poll which strikes the former, and if this bit, or the iron from which it is formed, should protrude from the dies, the former coming up against it, (even were there `no spring,) would necessarily create a fa-sh. Unless there be a close contact between the former and the dies, as described and illustrated Vin the preceding portion of this specification, fash will inevitablybe formed. It must, therefore, be obvious that for thc carrying out of this invention, it is necessary that while the squeezing-dies are pressing the axe-poll there shall be4 no advancing or receding of the bit-end former, which must snugly ft in with or against the dies so as to prevent the extension of metal from the bitend. The iron bar from which the polls are made is not usually more than three inches wide. When. squeezed by the dies, the excess of metal from the bit, which, as above stated, is prevented from protruding from the rear of the dies by the bit-end former, goes to make up the width required for the bit, and fills the bit-end of the dies. This squeezing takes place and is completed before the iron reaches the punch. The metal displaced by the punch then completes that part of the poll around the eye, and makes up the width required :across the eye, and if there be any surplus or crcessV of metal, it can find an outlet on the side where the bar is inserted in the dies, these being open to the extent ofthe thickness of the head of the poll. In this operation of squeezing and punchingr the poll there is usually from one-cighth to three-eighths of an inch of the bar forced out from the dies towards the workman. l

What I claim as m'jiinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for punching axe-polls and other tools, the combination, with the punching-pin and squeezing-dies, of a bit-end former or die, constructed as herein specified,V and applied to the end ofthe dies in Which the bit-end of the poll is received or shaped in the manner described; that is to say, so that when the squeezing-dies are brought together, the said former shall completely close the said end of the dies, substantially as herein shown and sct forth.

2. The combination, with the shears, of the edgingdies orformcrs operating in connection therewith, in the manner described, so that the poll shall simultaneously be edged and severed from the stock, substantially as .herein shown and set forth.` p

The combination of the shears and edging-dies'with the single cross-head, which carries the squeezingdies, under thc arrangement and for operation as herein shown and specified.

4. The combination, in a machine such as described, of the squeezing-dies, bit-enc former, shears, and edging-dies, when the same are' operated simultaneously from a single cross-head, substantially in the manner and fer the purposes shown and set forth. A

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name tothis specification before two subscribing witnesses.

ROBT. BLAKE.

Witnesses:

M. H. HoLeATc, EDwnD Janson. t 

